With You
by Fae Rain
Summary: Married since childhood Van and Hitomi are best friends but nothing more. When Asturia rooms them together during a visit will things change between them?
1. Chapter 1

Summarry: married since childhood Van and Hitomi are best friends but nothing more. When Asturia rooms them together during a visit will things change between them?

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Van tried not to smile as he watched Hitomi make rude faces behind thier tutor's back. This whole trip was a first for them and Clemmons was determined that they forget nothing of their lessons. Everything from political ties between each memebr of the Asturia court right down to table manners was being reviewed.

Of course Hitomi could afford to sit there and make faces. That girl's memory was better than even Clemmons'. As their tutor the old man refused to accept that she really did know everything he had already said so she was also stuck there listening to him go on and on. Van, having a bad memory for names needed the review session but hated to admit anything like that around his best friend for fear she would think he was slow.

The bouncing carriage distracted Hitomi from her constant string of different faces and Van saw that after awhile she had gone rather pale.

"I believe my Lady Wife needs air." Van cut Clemmons off in the middle of his description on how sturians dances went.

Catching the look on Hitomi's face Clemmons, who had always had a weak stomack, cleared his throat and called the carriage to a stop. The schollar managed to hold the door open as Hitomi sprinted past him and into the foggy day.

At barely sixteen the princess was now nearly as tall as their tutor's chin, a height Van had long ago passed. The day he had realized that his tutor was shorter than him it had felt like the world had tilted just a bit off course. His brother had told him that had their father been alive he would have hooted in joy and clapped Van on the shoulder. His father had always been joyly and proud of all the things they did. More than anything Van could remember how the Late king had picked out Hitomi as Van's future wife. Folken's wife had also been chosen for him and he was married at the age of fifteen when their father fell ill.

For five years both young princes had watched their father slowly fade before their eyes. After his death their mother also died of what Folken said was a broken heart.

At the age of ten Van was married to Hitomi, the girl his father and mother had brought to live with them after she had been hand picked to one day be his wife. They had grown up together and learned together.

Van found Hitomi doubled over in the tall grass with a few of their guards standing a respective distance away. She looked so little in the tall grasses as she turned towards him with tears in her eyes.

"I hate carriages." she whispered as he hugged her to him, "They make me ill."

He knew what she was asking him and he couldn't refuse her when she was so miserable. It took quite a bit of talking but he was able to get them a horse.

"They moved some of our bags into the carriage so we could ride into Asturia on horseback." he loved to see her face light up and her smile was very bright indeed as he took her hand and led her over to the horse they were to share. Her tears of frustration were gone and her color was even back to normal.

Two hours later they were approaching the gates of the Kingdom they would be guests in for the next three months for the gathering of Kingdoms treaty. Folkon should have been the one to go but his wife was far too along with child to travel anywhere and he would not leave her side. All of Gaea could have been offered to him and he still would have chosen to stay by his beloved.

Van was honored that his brother would trust him with such an important task but at the same time he was nervous. He'd been to Asturia once and that had been when he was too small to remember but he had heard many things through out the years and not everything sat well with the young prince.

"Look at the towers." Hitomi whipsered in awe and Van's attention was suddenly and completely on her, "They are so very high."

"I hope we will be able to see much of Asturia." he felt her lean back into him a bit more when the crowd caught sight of them coming through the gates, "I want our visit to be a pleasant one."

Hitomi just nodded, turning shy in the face of so many watching and shouting people.

Van brought a hand up and checked his circlet before also seeing that Hitomi's was in place and straight. She swatted his hand away, making him laugh as they reached the crowded streets that would lead them to the palace.

On the stairs in front of the large palace stood three figures. Van knew them atonce from all of Clemmons reviewing. King Aston stood with his daughters. Eries on his left and Millerna on his right. Behind them stood a handfull guards and a few servants waiting to assist with the bags once everyone of importance was inside.

They were greeted warmly and led inside by the royal family and few of the higher ranking guards, one of which Van couldn't help but notice had unusualy long hair. As someone who had gone through many sword fighting lessons and hours of training Van wondered how the man hadn't managed to chop it all off accidentally. The mental image was almost enough to make him laugh out loud but as usual Hitomi took his hand at just the right moment and distracted him enough away from his own thoughts to hear what was being said around them.

"The treaty will take place in one weeks time." the King was saying as servants silently opened a large set of double doors, "You are among the last to arrive so I daresay you will have a lot people to meet over dinner which will be served in an hour."

Van was hoping the King wasn't insulted that they had arrived so late to such an important event. Folken's decision not to go himself had been last second and it had taken him nearly a week to convince his brother that it would be alright if he and Hitomi went in his place.

"I'm sure you will want to rest before dinner." Millerna, the younger of the Princesses smiled brightly at them, "Let me show you to your room."

Van almost asked her if she had meant to say 'rooms' because he and Hitomi had never shared a room before and he wasn't sure how well that would go.

"It's a pleasure to be here." Hitomi 's voice was smooth and melodic as usual, "Everything is so beautiful." she always sounded so calm and her pressence calmed Van in turn.

"We take great care to keep everything spotless." Millerna smiled back at Hitomi.

Van saw Hitomi smile back but as soon as Millerna was looking ahead Hitomi pulled a face as she looked at the stairs beneath their feet. He wanted to ask what she was thinking but knew it was better to wait untill she decided to tell him.

"This is your room." Millerna pushed on the second door on the first floor and it slid open, "I hope your stay will be nice."

"I'm sure it will be." Van and Hitomi said at the same time before smiling at each other. They did that alot and it never failed to make them laugh.

"See you down at dinner." Millerna walked away quickly. Looking eager to be elsewhere.

Hitomi frowned at the blonde's back as Van turned and entered their room. The first thing he saw was that they had their own sitting area and a desk in one of the corners. At the end of the room there was a door that he had no doubt led to their one bedroom.

"We'll be fine." Hitomi slipped her hand into his, "I'm rather sure we can live this close every day and every night."

"But we've always had our own spaces to go to." Van looked around the room again, "I just don't want you to get sick of me."

"It's been ten years." Hitomi squeezed his hand as she headed for the door at the end of the room, "I've never gotten sick of having you near. You are my best friend."

The door to the bedroom was simple dark wood and the door opened silently under Hitomi's hand. The room was was furnished in yellows in golds and the bed was the largest one van had ever seen. Each of the seperate pieces of furniture was the same dark wood as the door and each cushion was the same gold shade.

"This is..." Hitomi's voice trailed off unable to find the right word.

"Over done?" Van suggested and his wife nodded slowly.

Their rooms back home were very different without all the frills and shiney materials. Most of the furniture in Fanelia was simple wood structures with lovely designs that compliment the wood's grain but it didn't take away from the piece itself.

Out of the corner of his eye Van caught Hitomi frowning again.

"What's wrong?" she turned towards him, her eyes distance.

"Wer seem to be a bit of a mystery to everyone." she said quietly, "They will test us and our marrtiage and they will do it with a smile."

Van sighed, he had known that something like that would happen eventualy now that they were away from their home. Many countries had long ago done away with child marriages, opting instead for arranged marriages. Usualy the bride and groom would not meet untill the day of the wedding. Something that Van thought was rather barbaric.

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At dinner Van saw that many pairs of eyes watched his and his wife's every move carefully. Most of the people that were there were older and had come with ther children, who all seemed to be close to Fanelian couple's ages. It was an odd feeling to know that in just a few days Van would be sitting down with all the men in the room to talk about the future of their countries. Even if Folken had come he would still have been the youngest man in the meeting.

The younger guests at the table did little to hide their curiousity. They stared and whispered among themselves.

Hitomi, being as sensitive as she was to what people were thinking and what was going on around them in the room and probably all of Asturia blushed every now and then as she dropped her eyes quickly down to the tabletop. Other times she seemed to be fighting back laughter as she 'listened' to what was going on around the table.

"What do you think?" Van asked and saw Hitomi's eyes scan each person at the table.

"They mean well but most are too distracted by their own greed. Be carefull when you speak to them of Fanelia and it's deffenses." her eyes had come to rest on the tall blonde knight Van had seen when they arrived. She frowned but quickly smiled when the man looked her way.

"And him?" he couldn't help but ask when he saw how long the man's eyes lingered on his wife.

"I remind him of someone." she shrugged, "His mind is very full and hard to see."

Van looked around, afraid that someone may have heard her last comment. Seers and others like them weren't very well recieved in many palces, least of all in a country where it's king was becoming paranoid with age.

"Prince Van," King Aston's voice was more than loud enough for it to carry throughout the room, "I'm sure you don't remember but when you were little there were talks of you and my Millerna marrying."

Hitomi stiffened beside him and Van smiled politely at the King, "I do not remember that."

"We would have been married this year had your father not changed his mind at the last moment." Millerna, who was seated across from them beamed, "He never did give a reason for that."

"I'm sure he just wanted you to be able to stay closer to your family. Fanellia is a long way from here, Princess." Van took Hitomi's hand and kissed the back of it, making her blush, "In the end he found Hitomi, the daughter of a dying Lord who needed a family to love her."

"How old were you when you came to live with the Fanelian Royals, Princess?" the blonde knight asked, leaning forward slightly with a glass of wine held in his long fingers, "If you don't mind me asking."

"I was Six." Hitomi smiled and Van could just see her back then, hiding behind her lady maid, short hair wild from sleeping in the carriage.

"And we were married four years later." Van grinned, knowing that was what everyone wanted to talk about, "I will forever be in my father's debt for granting me such a wonderfull friend and wife."

Hitomi ducked her head, trying to hide how red her face had gone. Van knew that he was being too personal in front of all these people but he didn't want them to doubt for a minute that they were happy with the way their lives had turned out.

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"Everyone was staring at us." Hitomi sighed as they reached their room, "And Millerna seems to feel that because of me she missed the chance to be Fanelian royalty."

"With the self important way she carries herself I would think that perhaps my father saw a bit of that even when she was young and decided fanelia was not the place for her and that she and I would not make a good match." Van watched Hitomi walk across the sitting area and over to the desk where she ran her fingers over the dark wood.

"I am happy to be your wife." she said quietly, "For more reasons than I could ever express."

Van walked up behind her and kissed her hair as she leaned into him. They were use to small acts of affection such as what they were doing now. Van barely remembered the last time they had actualy kissed. No, he did remember and rather well now that he thought about it. It happened when Folken had told them about the baby. In his excitement Van had scooped up his wife and kissed her hard as he held her tight. His actions surprised them both and he had avoided touching her for weeks afterwards. He had felt strange with her so close and was afraid of what he'd do if he were to be that close to her again.

She was his only friend and he was scared of ruining that.

That night as Hitomi slept Van watched her every breath, wondering just what Asturia would bring to their lives. After growing up with Hitomi he knew full well that everything was connected. This new place and their sudden step into the middle of what could be the most important thing Van had yet to do as Prince of Fanelia would change things. He knew that as well as he knew that their stay in this new Country would not be easy on Hitomi.

Here she had to hide what she was. Back home even the servants knew of her gifts. His father had been the first to realize how special Hitomi truly was and after that they kept her protected. She was their secret and their pride. The servants told no one and though a few of the citizens recognized her talents they too worked to keep it hidden from other nations.

Without the title of Queen it would be only too easy for someone to accuse her of Witchcraft and have her hung in the courtyard. It'd been years since such a thing was done but Van knew just how strangers would react to the news. They would fear her and in turn Fanelia. They would do their best to keep her from ever becoming Queen. As Queen she would be safe. She would outrank those who wished to harm her and no King or Queen would want to make an enemy out of a Seer.

Van moved closer to her in the huge bed as if his very pressense would be enough to protect her. He wished it were that easy.

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A/N: Ok, a new one for you all. I know exactly where this one will go and hopefully now that my laptop is up and running I will be able to update once a week. I've already started the next chapter so depending on the amount of reviews it may be out in few days.

I hope you liked it.

REVIEW:) 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Yay chapter two! Thanks for all the reviews!

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Van woke to see Hitomi sittng up in bed next to him, her knees drawn up to her chest. He sat up slowly and watched her, waiting for her to look at him to let him know that she was ready to talk. It wasn't unuasal to find Hitomi sitting by herself with that certain look on her face.

She was 'listening'.

She was so still it was hard to tell if she was breathing. Van scooted over untill Hitomi was an arm's length away and then laid back to wait for her. The next thing he knew he was opening his eyes as soft fingers caressed his face. Hitomi leaned over him and smiled.

"Today will be a good day." she was so close and Van found his hand reaching for her.

"I was alseep?" he asked, cupping the side of her face as she nodded, "I was waiting for you." he felt silly. Of course he had been asleep if he had to be awakened by her touch. Usualy he would have noticed even the slightest changes in her. If he'd been awake he woudl have seen or felt her move when she had finished listening.

She smiled again and slid out of bed before going over to the closet and grabbing her clothes for the day. With a slight blush she hurried behind the changing screen. Her blush had him wondering jsut she could have 'heard' in her stillness. He had no doubt that he was probably better off not knowing.

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She had said that the day would be good. Van held onto that reassurance as they made their way downstairs. Their breakfast had been brought up to their room and the maid had told them that no one gathers for breakfast. In fact no on was usualy about untill lunch time due to the starnge hours the Asturian nobles kept because of how hot the days became this time of year.

That gave them time to walk the grounds together.

Van held Hitomi's hand as they chatted. There was nothing overly important to say so they kept the mood light and just enjoyed their time outside. Van was enjoying the way the sun lightened Hitomi's hair and made her eyes the color of new grass.

He couldn't even remember the last time he had really looked at his wife. He'd know her for so long that it felt like she had always been there and always would be. It was strange how when he thought of her more often than not he would see her as she looked when they were little. Now though, in the bright sun, he saw that she wasn't so little anymore.

Dropping his gaze back to the dry grass around his feet Van once again thought of the kiss they had shared a few months ago. He was so lost in thought he didn't even notice when Hitomi's steps slowed.

"The guards are worried about something." Hitomi stopped in the middle of the path they had been following, "But I'm not sure what."

"Should we return?" that was the last thing Van wanted to do. He was having fun talking with her and hearing her laugh. She hadn't been so light hearted since before they had left Fanelia. It was also nice that he wasn't without an excuse to always be at her side in thsi country where they knew very few people indeed.

"The blonde knight, Allen, will be waiting for us at the doors." Hitomi wrinkled her nose, making Van smile, "He can wait a bit longer, I think."

"It's warmer here than back home." Van said as they returned to following the path trying to focus on the day and not the girl holding his hand.

"Yes. It made it hard to sleep." Hitomi tugged on Van's hand and pointed up at a bird in one of the trees, "How lovely."

Van was watching Hitomi's profile rather than looking up at the bird so he saw quite clearly the change in her eyes.

"We have company." she whispered before smiling brightly and turning back the way they had just come.

Sure enough almost at once they saw a few of the Princes and Princesses that had come here with their parents. It seemed that Van and Hitomi hadn't been the only ones who wanted to spend time outside.

Greetings were quick and polite and they were even invited to walk with the rest of the group. They tagged along and listened as everyone else gossiped. It wasn't Van's idea of fun but at least thier pressense meant that the others wouldn't be able to talk about them. There were ten of them in total, a large group of royals ranging from fourteen to twenty. And that wasn't all of the royal children that had arrived in Asturia in the past few days. Van should have felt as ease in such a group. To be with others his own age or close enough but he felt tense.

Flirting seemed to the main reason why everyone had moved away from the watching eyes of their parents and the gossip quickly turned that way. Once again Van found that he wasn't really paying attention to what was being said. He was too bussy watching everyone and glaring at any of the males who even looked at Hitomi with a flirty smile. One of them, Nathan, kept turning pruposely to smile at Van's wife. It wasn't exactly a flirty smile but more of a 'having fun' smile. It was like Nathan didn't want Hitomi to feel lelft out of all the talking but it annoyed Van to no end that the brown haired Prince didn't once look at him. His eyes always went to Hitomi, ignoring Van entirely.

Van knew his wife was lovely but that didn't make it ok for Nathan to stare at her so often as they walked. But Nathan wasn't the only one stealing glances at Hitomi as they walked. All of the males in th egroup turned their eyes to her at least a handfull of times as they walked.

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Allen had indeed been waiting for them when they got back but seeing how they were with so many others he just smiled and announced that lunch was about to be served.

Lunch went pleasantly. The mood was calm and rather quiet due to the rising heat outside. Many of the older man and women retreated back to their rooms to sleep out the heat as King Aston recommended.

Van and Hitomi also retreated from the warmth of the day. It was either that or deal with the same group as they had that morning. Van's mood improved a bit when he realized that Hitomi hadn't had much fun with them either.

"The Ladies think you are handsome." Hitomi said as soon as Van had closed the door behind them, "They spoke of your eyes and face throughout lunch. They were seated close enough that I could hear them."

"You also have admirers." Van forced a smile, "Nathan and the others watched you closely as we walked the grounds."

"They are just curious." Hitomi shrugged it off but Van was still bothered.

"What do you think of Nathan?" Van took Hitomi's hand and led her over to the small couch seated by the window.

"I don't know." Hitomi looked out at the cloudless sky, "He is worried about his father and trying to distract himself from that."

That's not what Van had wanted to know but he let it go. He wasn't about to admit that he was jealous just because a man had been looking at his wife. There was just something about the way Nathan actually looked at her that bothered him. The others had also looked but they weren't the ones that had Van sitting on the edge of the couch.

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The next day passed nearly the same as the one before had. Van and Hitomi had risen early to have the grounds to themselves as they walked and they retreated back to their room after lunch. There was no sign of Nathan at all untill dinner when Van found that the Prince had seated himself to next to them, next to Hitomi just moments before the food was to be brought out. It would have been rude to move but Van was sorely tempted when he saw how Hitomi laughed at something Nathan had said.

Van concentrated on his food as he listened carefully to everything that Nathan was saying to his wife.

Dinner couldn't end soon enough for the Fanelian Prince. He'd been unable to eat everything on his plate and as he walked back to their room with Hitomi on his arm he was thankfull he hadn't filled his stomack because his nerves had him feeling ill.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, fingers gripping him tighter. They were standing in front of the writing desk now. Hitomi had stopped him from continuing on into the bedroom.

"I'm jealous." Van managed, feeling like a spoiled child, "I don't like how Nathan looks at you."

Hitomi's laugh surprised him into silence.

"I could say the same about how Millerna and half of the other females in the palace look at you." she was smiling up at him and he couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm being silly." he shook his head.

"But it's nice to know you care that much." Hitomi's face had gone pink.

He stared at her as she looked at their feet. Had she really been feeling the same way he had?

Van stepped closer, looking from her eyelashes to her cheekbones to her lips. He cupped her face in both of his hands and looked into her eyes as she looked at him in question, her cheeks brilliantly red.

"I want to kiss you." he could barely get the words out, "May I?"

Hitomi's eyes widened before she nodded and Van leaned in untill his lips brushed over her's. His hands were shaking and he was thinking about running away, his nerves getting the better of him as his stomck tightened. Gently, surprisingly calming him, Hitomi brought her hands up to his shoulders and leaned further into the kiss, encouraging him.

When he pulled back he knew his face was as red as her's and his eyes just as dazed. That had been amazing. His mind was telling him to do it again while he still had the nerve.

He leaned in again, slower than before, giving her time to stop him. He was surprised when she was the one to close the gap between them. 

"You don't have to be afraid to kiss me." she whispered against his lips, "I wont run away."

"I might." he confessed before kissing her again.

"I don't want you to." Hitomi pulled back and blushed, "I'm your wife, Van. You are suppose to want to kiss me."

"I do want to kiss you. It's all I've been thinking about lately." and it was.

"Then why do you hesitate?"

"I don't know what to do." he sighed, "I'm afraid of wanting more than you do."

Hitomi took his hand and smiled, "I want you, Van and I want us to be as close as ever."

"Then we want the same thing." Van pulled Hitomi to his chest and just held her, "We'll do this slowly. No pressure."

"No pressure." Hitomi wrapped her arms around Van's waist.

"Just kissing for now." even as he said the words he felt unblelievebly nervous. It was hard to believe that he was actually talking about this with her. He should have been to embarrassed to even be in the same room with her after such a thing had been mentioned.

He was nervous but the need to be out of the room never came.

"I think we can do that." she smiled up at him, "But for now we should get some sleep."

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A/N: God, I'm so tired and so sick of snow! But at least I got to see the sun today for an hour. We can't even see out our back windows thanks to the snow thats been falling from the room.

There are sure to be a few mistakes. I'm getting a cold and my eyes are killing me. About half way through I gave up on editing everything. I just fixed the obvious stuff. 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I was a bit disapointed to see that I recieved less reviews for the second chapter. There are a bunch of you who are favoriting the story but I need the reviews to prove to me that people want more and are enjoying this. So please leave a review.

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Van worried over Hitomi as he sat with all the men. Aston had insisted that the men talk before the official treaty started. All that really meant was that they sat around tasting the fine wines Aston was fond of and chatting about children and grandchildren. This left Van completely out of the conversation for over an hour.

He occupied himself by trying to name the different types of tiles that decorated the walls of the large 'lounge' area that was blocked off from the outside by only two walls, both of which had archways and windows. The other two walls were made up of silks and see through materials in Asturian colors.

Overall the affect was amazing, putting one in thoughts of great deserts and older kigdoms. But it also put them closer to the sweltering sun. Even for it being evening Van could feel the sweat clinging to the back of his shirt and pants from the way he was sitting. No doubt standing would be an uncomfortable event.

The change in conversation caught Van's attention and he looked up as two men near him frowned while the others started talking about bloodlines and servants. In Van's opinion it was insane to say that one type of person or persons from a certain bloodline would be better at cleaning than another. It was also insane to have these people brought from far away places just to clean your home.

"And what of Fanelia, young Prince?" Aston asked, red in the face from too much wine.

"Our servants are Fanelian born citizens who wish to serve in one way or another." he left out the part about how most of the woman were family to the guards and soldiers who had died over the years and had nowhere else to go.

"They serve well?" the man to Aston's left, a King who's name Van couldn't remember just then looked amused.

"They are most loyal and efficent." Van sipped his wine to have something to do as everyone stared at him for a minute. Questions only came his way when the others inquired after his brother's well being or when they wanted to show just how young he was.

Going back up the stairs and back to Hitomi was a relief. Or would have been if the door hadn't been locked.

"Hitomi?" he knocked and put his ear up to the door, "Are you alright?"

"Just a moment!" she called and Van stepped back quickly as the door opened, "I apologise." her cheeks were flushed and Van noticed with shock that she stood before him in a robe and what looked to be undergarments, "I was trying to cool down and fell asleep."

Red, and suddenly more warm than he had been all day, Van nodded and quickly closed the door behind him, "The heat has been astounding." Van was trying not to look at her. He'd been spending his nights trying not to think about things such as Hitomi's undergarments. He could barely see anything due to the long robe but that didn't really matter when he knew that they were there.

"I went over the list Folken gave to us." Hitomi walked over to the desk and picked up a sheet of paper, "I rewrote it and added on a few things that should be mentioned in the meeting." she looked down at the list, rereading it as she added, "I believe I remembered everything Folken had asked us to do."

Van shook his head slowly, smiling. Hitomi was always a few steps ahead of everyone else. Of course that was just part of her gift but it made it easier to have her there showing him what would need to be said and who it was that would stand against them.

"Just keep calm and make sure you act like you know how everything will turn out." Hitomi held the lsit out to him.

"Too bad I can't send you in my place." he grinned. The list was perfect and under each item, in her perfect handwriting, were the pros annd cons of each eventual change. No wonder people avoided arguing with her. She saw both sides of every arguement.

At times it felt like he had known Hitomi his whole life, which basicaly was true but then again every now and then she would do something that made him wonder just how much he actually knew about her. Today though, he was impressed and very thankfull that she was his wife and best friend. With his luck he would have misplaced Folken's original list by now and rewriting it never would have crossed his mind. So he wouldn't have even known it was gone untill it was too late to do anything about it.

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When Van woke to sun in his eyes he hid beneath the pillows. He wasn't ready to be up yet and deffinitely wasn't ready to go back to sitting around with the other men. Of all the things in Asturia he was sure that the 'lounge' area was his least favorite. He always felt sleepy and over heated and after awhile it was hard to listen to same old conversations . Whether the men spoke at dinner or over wine the words hardly ever changed.

Blindly searching under the blankets, Van found Hitomi's arm and prepared to doze for awhile longer. He wasn't one for sleeping in but niether was his wife. So, as long as she was sleeping still then too much time hadn't passed since sunrise.

Nine days had come and gone since they had first arrived in Asturia and two days ago the Treay Of Kingdoms had begun. Van had no idea how everyone else who attended the meetings felt but he was more than gratefull to have Hitomi to go back to each night. Her calm reassurances and knowledge of what would happen eased his stress. It was her thin fingers that eased his head aches as the moved gently through his hair each night. Her kiss also did wonders for his well being. Not to mention the feel of her skin.

Van opened his eyes, frustrated with himself. There was now ay he would be able to go back to sleep now that his mind and fingers remembered the feel of her bare shoulders as they kissed. It had been a brave move on his part to push her nightgown to the side and he had been very happy when she hadn't move away. He had just wanted to kiss and feel the skin that he caught glimpses of everynight as the material twisted and slid as she slept.

He was begining to understand why his brother had put so much distance betweent himself and his younge bride up untill the last few years. Folken had wanted to concentrate on the Kingdom and their people. Such a touch, such a distraction was almost enough to make a man crazy.

Moving the pillows away from his face Van could see Hitomi in the bright sunlight. With the gold of the sheets and pillows around her pale skin and light hair she looked like the sun itself come to Gaea for one glorious morning.

Van found that he couldn't keep his eyes off her. The morning light was making her glow.

Later at the treaty Van was still thinking about the one shoulder he had seen so cleary due to the over large nightgown his wife wore to bed. Her eyes as she woke went straight to his before she smiled. He'd never known anyone who enjoyed the morning as much as her. No matter the wheather or mood of the day she always woke up happy.

Everyone suddenly jumped to their feet as an Asturian guard ran into tne room. Van, lost in his own thoughts jumped up a bit later than the others but he knew at once that something was wrong. And he knew it was Hitomi.

"What happened?" he almost yelled at the out of breath man who held onto the doorframe for support.

"She fainted...in the gardens...just found her now."

Voices around him picked up in volume but Van didn't wait. He ran from the room and out through the hedges.

Almost at once he saw a group of men and woman gathered around one spot and he ran in that direction. It was a ways out in the garden but he spotted Hitomi on the ground as he neared. Her could hear Millerna ordering people to get water and something to make a shadey spot.

"We were walking." Millerna said as soon as Van was at her side, "A bunch of us came around the corner and she was just laying here. It looks like she hit her headn so she shouldn't be moved yet. Not till she's awake."

He didn't really hear what was said to him about any of it. All he was thinking about was Hitomi looking so frail. Her cheeks were red from the heat but the rest of her was unnaturally pale.

"Water." Van said, "We need to cool her."

"I'v asked for some to be brought." Millerna touched Hitomi face and frowned, "She is too warm."

Without a word Van picked his wife up. Carefull of her head he turned and the crowd parted. She need to be cooled.

"What are you doing?" Millerna shrieked.

But Van wasn't listening. He was looking and when he saw what it was he needed he started walking in the direction of the rose garden where in the center a grand fountain sat shaded by the closest trees.

"Please let the water be cold." he wasn't sure who he was asking this favor of but he hoped dearly that he was heard.

He could still hear Millerna behind him complaining about the way he hadn't listened to her warnings. The others were probably following out of curiousity as to what he thought he would do to help his wife but he ignored them all as he stepped up and into the fountain, causing an instant silence to fall behind him as he knelt down and laid Hitomi gently in the water.

It was cold.

Holding her head up with one hand he used the othe to scoop up water and wet her hair and neck. The rest of her was already submerged. He remembered something like this being done to him when he was very young and ill with a wild fever. The Healers had thrown a fit when his mother was found sitting in the front fountain with him in her arms. The water had cooled his body and the fever. He was hoping that it would work now for his wife as it had for him years ago.

"You could be making her head worse." Millerna sounded very upset with him.

"Her head is fine." Van said quietly, his eyes on Hitomi's face, "Her hands caught her before she hit the ground." and to prove his point her turned one of her small limp hands over to show the scrapes. One hand was worse off than the other but Van would worry about that once Hitomi was able to tell him what happened.

"Please open your eyes." he whispered, "The heat is leaving your body and you should be feeling better. We're sitting in the rose fountain." he couldn't help but smile, "And I don't think Millerna is too happy about that."

"Cold." Hitomi's mouth opened and closed like she was repeating the word without actualy saying it aloud over and over. Then slowly she began to open her eyes, "But the fire?" she asked.

"It was the sun." Van hugged her tight, "The sun has done this. There was no fire."

Her eyes showed her confusion but her questions had to wait as the men from the treay meeting showed up. Nearly all of them were out of breath.

"Thank Gaea this young one can think on his feet." King Aston's round face was sweaty and red, "It would have taken too long to fill basin big enough."

"Brilliant." one of the other's said.

"Clever." and more comments were made as Van helped Hitomi to her feet and into a robe.

Once she was sercurely tied into the robe he picked her up and refused to listen to her protsests.

"You will be in bed for the next few days. Far away from the sun and close to a glass of water at all times." he said as she stopped speaking to take a breath, "You have no idea how scared i was to see you laying there. Please just humor me in my bumbling attempt to take care of you."

There were still too many people around for him to do the one thing he was dying to do which was kiss her. Holding her close would have to do untill they alone. Feeling her breath on his face and the even beat of her heart agains his arm was enough to prove to him for now that she was alright.

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A/N: Ok, took me awhile to sit down and type but this came out in two days. I know it's jumpy and all but that's just how I write. I hope you all can follow along well enough.

REVIEW:) 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Once again I was under the wheather. Also my friend just had a baby and another is getting ready to have one. It's crazy. I've never made so many baby blankets or hats and mittens.

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Hitomi's fever lingered for days. Van had stopped going to the meetings. He'd left a copy of his brother's list, the one with Hitomi's well thought out pros and cons, in King Aston's hands when he told the older man that he would not leave her side again. Not till she was well.

Van didn't let anyone else take care of Hitomi. He was afraid that they would hear her ramblings and see them for what they really were and not just fever induced babble.

She spoke often of fire and of floating rocks. One night she sat right up and with a smile told Van that he was an uncle to a baby boy. Her cheeks had been crimson with fever but her joy was still true. Not ten minutes later she was muttering about rats and pests.

Van had never seen Hitomi this bad. He'd seen her as a vision came and left but never in ten years had he seen one that lingered and tortured her so. She cried often, calling out a name he didn't know. When she was done crying she would cling to him and sleep for hours.

He had no idea what to do. So he just stayed by her side and talked to her even as she talked to people that weren't in the room.

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"Van?" the sound of his name had him awake and upright in a second.

Hitomi sat on her knees, her shoulders hunched forward as she took deep breathes.

"Van?" she tunred her head to look at him slowly, "Where was I?"

He didn't know what to say. Of course she had been with him in their room this whole time. Why would she think she had gone anywhere?

"I don't know what you mean." he brushed her hair back gently and looked into her eyes as she stared at him.

"When I fell." she touched his face lightly, "It was so hot. The flames were everywhere and then it was cold and I could hear you."

"You were in the garden and there was no fire." Van couldn't stand it anymore and pulled her into his arms, "You've had a fever, darling."

Hitomi just frowned against his arm, "But I saw them. I saw them attack."

"Who attacked?" Van asked, pulling back to look at her.

"The rocks." she frowned again, "I don't make sense."

"It's ok. We'll figure it out after you get some more sleep." Van leaned back on the pillows and pulled her down untill her head rested above his heart, "Are you cold? Your skin is cool to the touch now."

"No." Hitomi sighed, "I'm comfortable."

He just held her and listened as she took even slow breaths. He could tell she wa slost in thought and just waited.

"What day is it?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"The full moon is tomorrow." he watched as her head shot up. Her wide eyes looked scared and shocked.

"The full moon?" she jumped up and started pracing, "Seven days? How is that possible?"

"Millerna said it was the fever that kept you asleep." Van got up slowly and put himself in Hitomi's pacing path, "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him like she hadn't even seen him get up, "I'm not sure but something is wrong." slowly, with a look of pain Hitomi tapped her temple, "Why can't I remember?"

Van wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair. Her strength as she gripped at his arms surprised him. He kissed her hair again and again, moving to her temples and forehead. The more he touched her the more she seemed to relax. Her fingers losened on his arms and her head settled just below his chin.

"I don't know what I saw." she whispered, "But I will remember. I will."

"You will." he kissed her cheek as she looked up, "But for right now, how does food sound?"

"Wonderfull."

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Van waited, leaning against the desk in the front room as Hitomi changed in the bedroom. It was killing him to have her be out of his sight. In the back of his mind he wondered if he had just imagined that she had woken and in a few minutes, when she didn't come out of the room, he was scared that he would find her still asleep in the bed.

The door opened just as he touched the nob and he came face to face with his wife.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking around trhe room.

"I was just going to see if you were alright." Van smiled, relieved by how well Hitomi was already looking after being awake for less than an hour. She was pale and her eyes looked tired but it was better than the fevery pink her skin had been before.

"Stop worrying." she smiled, "I felt the fever leave."

Van offered her his arm but she took his hand as they headed for the door. Her fingers linked through his amke his heart race. She was really awake and well. And she was smiling at him.

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He had fought all morning with Hitomi and had lost as usual. She didn't want him to miss any of the last few meetings. Things were going to be finalized and he needed to be there to repressent Fanelia.

It was hard not to just sit there and glare at the floor as he half listened to the others. Hitomi had all but thrown him out of their room.

At least the Trade was going well. It seemed King Aston had been very impressed with Hitomi's list and asked each of the men to also write down the many ways their ideas would bring about good and bad things. The many Kings weren't happy about this, each wanting to say that there were no bad parts to their ideas. There are always downfalls to sudden changes but Van kept his mouth shut in hopes that things would end soon and he could get back to his wife.

As things slowed Aston asked about Hitomi's health and the room went silent.

"She is well." Van smiled, "The fever is gone and no lasting harm has been caused. I will tell her of your interest."

"Please do and tell her I hope to see her at dinner." That was Aston's way of ending the meeting and Van had to hold himself back. He just wanted to get back to the room and the fastest way to do that would have been to run but that would have been insulting the other royals in the room.

But he did run as soon as he was out of sight from the others. Rushing, Van caught his foot on the top stair and went sprawling onto his stomack. The air was nocked out of him but he was fine. He was just thankfull no one was around to have seen him.

"Van?" well so much for not being seen, "Are you alright?"

Van looked up tp see Millerna and two other Ladies by her side. Both of them hid their giggles behind their hands.

"I'm fine." he stood quickly, "Took the stairs too quickly. I wanted to get back to check on my wife."

"We just stopped in." Millerna smiled as her friends stopped laughing, "She loooked well but complained of being tired still."

"She barely slept last night." Van dusted himself off, not liking the looks he was getting from the two princesses behind Milllerna, "And she wasn't able to hold down any food."

She'd been sick for the first few hours after she woke. The cooks had even heated up some soup for her but that had refused to stay down. She hadn't been feeling ill, the food just hadn't stayed where it was suppose.

"Probably due to how long she went without anything solid." Millerna nodded back towards Van's door, "Make sure she drinks a lot of water."

"Of course." Van hurried past, not looking at the Ladies.

Hitomi was the only thing on his mind. He didn't have time to worry about anyone else.

The door was only half open when Van heard Hitomi say something not so nice.

"Oh!" she had just seen him around the edge of the door, "I thought it was those girls again."

"So you curse at them?" he smirked.

"I didn't think I was being that loud." Hitomi blushed.

"Loud enough that I heard every word." he closed the door and hurried to take her into a hug.

"How did things go?" she asked, leaning into him.

"Well. It seems everything will be done in just a few days." Van kissed her hair, "And then we can go home."

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A/N: Hope you all enjoyed it. Please review. Hopefully the next one will not take so long. Hopefully my health will be fine for the next few weeks so I can get more typing done. 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Yay, this one was surprisingly easy to write. Less than two days on this and I like how it came out. I hope you all enjoy!

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Even though Hitomi was feeling better Van still found himself watching her carefully whenever they were alone. He had spent the week trying to coax her to swallow broth and cups of water and now that she was up and around and eating normally again he should have been more at ease.

But there was still something wrong. He could see it in her eyes whenever she thought no one was looking. It had only been one day since her eye's had cleared and the fever had gone.

At the moment Van was watching Hitomi as she gazed out their bedroom window. The air was thick and sticky and no one seemed to be out and about, preffering instead to hide away from the heat of the day as Van and Hitomi were doing.

Hitomi wore a sleeveless under dress in hopes of cooling down but Van could see that the material was still as thick as her normal clothing and wondered how women could survive in so many layers and ties. Of course, Van was shocked and a bit thrilled with the way Hitomi had shrugged off any discomfort about being half dressed. As the heat rose Van had even discarded his shirt somewhere by the bed. Shoes hadn't even been looked for that morning and Van's sword laid in one of the plush chairs in the room.

"I want to go swimming." Hitomi sighed. She had said this before but for some reason in Asturia women over the age of ten never went swimming. It was indecent or something like that.

"We could always say we fell in." Van grinned at her as she laughed, "We can at least go stick our feet in the ocean."

They had seen the ocean every day since their arrival and that was only from their window.

Smiling, Hitomi pulled on a light dress and turned for Van to button it up. It reminded him of when they had first met. Those first few days she had been in Fanelia she had been quiet and all but hid when someone spoke to her. But around him she would smile and laugh. When her lady maid left a few months after their arrival Van had found Hitomi sitting in her rooms crying. She had always been taken care of and she didn't know how to dress herself. She had gotten most of the graments on correctly but was unable to button and lace up her dress.

Being only six, this was a serious problem and Van was happy to help. Now of course Hitomi was fully capable to dressing herself but the buttons always went faster with someone esle doing them. And Van had no problems with helping her especialy if it meant he was able to be so close to her.

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Standing on the rocks it looked like the world went on forever. Everything beyond where he stood was blue and perfect. The waves washed up on the rocks around him and he could hear his wife laughing as one of guards that had come with them danced away from the sea foam. It was just an act. The guard was one of their own and was out to make the Princess smile.

The others they had brought with them smiled along. They all looked happy to see Hitomi feeling better. Even Clemmons had greeted them brightly as they prepared to depart for the sea shore. Their tutor told them to be carefull and declined to go along claiming the heat had given him a head ache. Van was rather sure that the older man was just happy to have time to himself since their lessons and such had been put on hold untill their return to Fanelia.

Hitomi laughed again and Van watched as she walked across the rocks to reach his side. A step behind, Wesley, the guard who had made Hitomi laugh, held out a protective hand incase she slipped. Despite the heat she looked to be having the best time.

Van saw that the guards watched and smiled when she smiled. They all knew what she was, of course but just as it had been back in Fanelia, she was their secret. They had all seen Van and Hitomi grow up together and there was nothing they wouldn't do for the royals but not because they were royal. No, because Fanelia and it's poeple were like a large family. There wasn't one guard there who hadn't at one point or another helped Van train or followed Hitomi around as she took riding lessons.

"Incoming wave, Princess." Wes warned Hitomi but the wave hit the rocks harder than expected and Hitomi, Van and Wes found that they were instantly soaked.

The look of pure shock on Hitomi's face had Van laughing untill his sides hurt.

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They hurried through the palace, afraid that someone would see them dripping wet. All van could imagine was a servant chasing them with a rag becaus ethey had gotten water everywhere. Of course that wouldn't have happened but he was sure that someone was going to be mad when they spotted the mess.

The door to their room stuck a bit and Hitomi giggled as they pushed it open and almost fell to the floor.

She hurried into the next room and behind the screen to pull off her wet things. When she came out she was wearing her night shirt and her hair was messy.

"I figured I would get dressed in time for dinner but not yet." she smiled.

Van grabbed up his dry clothes and changed behind the screen quickly. When he stepped out he saw that Hitomi was laying on the bed, her eyes closed.

She looked beautiful.

He walked over to her side and brushed her messy hair away from her face. Hitomi smiled, keeping her eyes closed and Van ran his fingers over her cheek and down her jaw line. When she sighed he did it again only this time on the other side of her face. He was watching the skin his fingers were touching and hadn't noticed that Hitomi had opened her eyes and was looking up at him.

She blushed when he looked her in the eye before tracing his finger tips down her neck and then back up again. Trying not to think too hard, Van leaned down and kissed her. Hitomi's answering sigh encouraged him and he kissed her again, a hand pushing at the lose neck of the nightshirt untill he was able to slide his hand across her shoulder and up to her jawand back down again without interference.

Slowly, or as slowly as he could, Van moved onto the bed beside her. His back and knees had been protesting against the way he had been hunched over before but now that he was so close his hands shook and legs felt weak. Hitomi's hand on the side of his face distracted him as she drew him in for another kiss.

The kisses didn't stop and Van found that every time he moved there was more and more skin to touch and kiss.

Hitomi's sighs urged him on and soon enough Van froze as he looked down at his wife's naked body. His clothes were also gone but strangely that didn't bother him. Her pale skin distracted him from an discomfort he thought he would have felt.

"Don't stare." Hitomi grabbed at the sheets to cover up, her cheeks a bright red.

Van stopped her and feeling outside himself he slid his hand across her stomack as he said, "You're beautiful."

Even in the heat he saw that his touch caused goosebumps to rise on her pale skin.

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Van opened his eyes when the knocking grew louder. He didn't want to move. In fact, it felt like he was being held down by something. Looking around he spotted his clothing on the floor and the blond hair next to his face.

His heart sped up as he remembered very clearly why his clothes were on the floor and why Hitomi, only wrapped in the sheet, was sleep. He'd felt horrible when he realized that what ever energy Hitomi had regained from her week long fever and vision was spent rather quickly as their exploring turned serious.

When he had laid her back it was all she could do to keep her eyes open as she told him she loved him.

Van slid out of bed and into his pants as quietly as he could. Whoever it was at the door wasn't going away and Van feared that sooner or later they would try breaking the door down if no one answered it. He didn't bother with a shirt or shoes and just hurried to open the damn door.

"Yes?" he tried not to sound too annoyed as he threw the door back to reveal not just one person but a few, "What's wrong?" he asked at once, his annoyance gone, worry replacing it.

"It Princess Hitomi well?" Millerna stepped forward, "When neither of you showed for dinner and there was no answer at your door we feared she had fallen ill again."

"She's fine." Van blocked Millerna's way as she tried to step pass him, "She is sleeping. It seems her energy isn't back to normal yet."

"And you?' it was that blond knight, Allen, that Van wasn't fond of at all, "Why didn't you open the door sooner?"

"I was also sleeping." Van felt his cheeks grow warm but tried to ignore it as Allen looked at him criticly.

"Thank goodness." Millerna waved away a few of the people in the hall who Van was guessing were healers, "We were thinking of breaking the door in. We've been out here for almost an hour."

At that Van did blush. He felt the heat creep up his neck and into his face and wished he had worn a shirt. Who would have thought that such activities would be so draining?

"Next time you decide to skip a meal let someone know so that they can send up a tray of food. As you said your lady wife's health isn't completely at it's height." Allen looked past Van into the sitting room and frowned.

"We didn't mean to miss the meal or cause so much worry." Van had to restrain himself from saying more. He wasn't liking Allen's attitude or the knight's searching eyes. What was it the guy thought he was going to see anyways?

"I'll have someone bring you up some food." Millerna beamed.

As the Princess turned and headed down the hall Van glared at the knight before him, waiting for the man to say something.

"She is truly well?" Allen asked at last, his body tense.

"She is." Van nodded, more annoyed by the fact that this starnger would think that Van would leave Hitomi to suffer if something was wrong instead of getting help, "A husband knows how to take care of his wife."

The look Allen gave him let Van know that his point had been made. Hitomi was not Allen's concern. She wasn't Allen's anything. She was Van's.

Van closed the door and made his way back to his wife's side. She was awake and sitting up in a pool of sheets, looking around. When she saw him her face reddened and she pulled the sheets up around her.

"Food will arrive soon." Van walked over and sat next to her on the bed. He wasn't sure why his stomack was suddenly doing back flips. Yes, Hitomi was beautiful sitting there naked with a thin sheet wrapped around her front but he had seen more of her just hours before.

"I'm starving." she smiled, looking down at her hands.

Van laid a hand on her arm and kissed her shoulder then her cheek.

"I love you." he looked up at her, feeling suddenly overheated.

"I love you too." she whispered.

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Van was surprised by how sore his muscles were the next day. All thoughout the meeting he tried not to move around too much and to not think about the reason why he was feeling sore. Those thoughts were far too distracting and he feared that someone would be able to tell what he was seeing in his mind's eye.

Things were suppose to be coming to an end very soon concerning the trade of kingdoms but so far it had been pushed back a few days. He couldn't wait to return to Fanelia and meet his brother's son. Of all the things Hitomi had seen in her visions she still remembered the baby boy. She had told Van that Folken's son looked very much like Folken himself.

The only good thing that came out of the three hour meeting was that everyone had finaly agreed on the final details of the trade. Now all that was left to do was have a copy made up for each of the men there. Many of the things Hitomi had written down and agreed with had been approved by the group. Soon the trade of goods would be open between all of those kingdoms gathered and materials that had been hard to come by would be easeir accessed. Caravans would be guarded and those who livelihoods relied on such trade would be given bigger portions of the profit. There were many more things that had been passed but this was the part that had concerned Hitomi. Too many trade routes were known for the amount of theives that waited on the roads.

Leaving the room, Van turned towards a corner that he should have just overlooked as usual, only to see his wife standing there with her arms held close to her body, her hands behind her back.

"Are you alright?" he hurried over to her. Her eyes were red and she looked distressed.

"I don't like them." she said quietly.

"Who?" Van looked around but no one was in sight.

"Millerna invited me out for a walk." Hitomi made a face, "There were a bunch of them with her. They are cruel and selfish."

"What did they do?" if they had done anything to her he wasn't sure he could hold himself back.

"They knocked a nest from a tree. They thought it was empty but when it turned out to have a owner they tossed it in the fountain." it was then that he saw how wet the hem of her dress was.

"Did it live?" he asked, afraid to know the answer.

"Yes." Hitomi brought her hands into view and Van took a step back.

In her hands sat a baby Scoul.

"Scouls don't live in nests." he said, wanting to knock the thing from her hands, "And they are known to be rather poisonous."

"I think it ate the eggs in the nest." she looked down at what resembled a cat, except for the thick tuft of fur at the back of it's neck and the fangs Van knew were there even if he couldn't see them just then.

He could see why no one had been willing to rescue it after seeing that it was Scoul but that didn't make tossing it in the fountain ok.

"We can't keep it." he sighed, "Let's go back outside and put it by the tree it had been in. It's mum might be searching for it."

Hitomi nodded but there was something in her eyes that he didn't understand, "Mother always searches for baby." she whispered.

As they walked out the door they passed by Millerna and her friends. All of whom stopped dead in their tracks when they saw what Hitomi was holding. Millerna's eye quickly met Van's and he just shook his head slightly, telling her not to speak.

He took his wife by the arm but let her lead the way to where the baby Scoul had been found. He knew that there was something more to this than just the Scoul being dumped in the fountain. The way Hitomi's eyes went out of focus every few seconds told him that she was seeing beyond that moment.

The Scoul, awake and silent in Hitomi's hand seemed more interested in who was holding it than where they were going. When Hitomi bent down to set it on the ground it clung to her, moewing in a small voice.

"That way." Hitomi set the creature down and pointed towards the trees, "Your mother waits."

Van didn't like the sound of that. Scoulds grew rather large and were deadly hunters. Having one nearby was a discomforting thought to say the least.

Hitomi stood and turned to Van quickly, wrapping her arms around him.

"What are you Seeing?" he asked, burying his face in her hair.

"I don't know." She tipped her head back and kissed him hard before saying, "It's a bunch of feelings. Nothing I can truely See."

Van looked around quickly, opening his mouth to ask a question only to have his wife silence him with another kiss. Not that he was complaining.

The clearing of a throat had them pulling a part and turning to find Millerna and few others standing there. Millerna was frowning as the others grinned and giggled.

"We wanted to make sure niether of you were bit by the Scoul." Millerna crossed her arms, "But I see that you are both fine."

"More than fine." Hitomi smiled, "And the Scould went back into the woods without much fuss."

"Well, that's good." one of the Princes said with a sarcastic smile and Van shot a glare in his direction. No wonder his wife was starting to dislike these people so much. It seemed they had figure out she was different but had no idea just how different from them she really was. They just thought she was weird.

"We saw a grown Scoul walking that way not two minutes ago." Van pointed away from where they had seen the little one go, "If i were you I wouldn't be out walking for a day or two."

He took Hitomi's hand as Millerna's friends looked around quickly as if they expected a Scoul to appear because of Van's words. They all looked Nervous and it was hard for Van to hold back his grin untill they were far enough away.

"Millerna isn't happy when you touch me." Hitomi looked back over her shoulder at the group who were starting to head back towards the palace like they were.

"Well, good for her." Van shrugged, "I won't stop on her account."

Hitomi grinned up at him as they walked, "I love you Prince Fanel."

"And I, you Princess Fanel." he kissed the back of her hand as they made it to the front steps of the palace.

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A/N: Ok, this one was longer. I know a few of you mentioned how short the one before was but like I said, I had been busy and ill. I did the best I could for the moment. I purposely made this one longer as an apology so I hope you all liked it!

REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: A short chapter but still the plot is now moving along.

Also, thanks go out to Sam. You reminded me that I needed to think of those who wait for chapters (not unlike me) and that I was being unfair not giving them anything because I was in a mood.

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Van moved over Hitomi, watching her expressions as he went. The sun had set hours ago but the heat had yet to release it's hold on the land and Van could feel sweat running down his spine as Hitomi sighed beneath him.

It was harder and harder to keep his hands off her whenever they were in the same room laterly. He had to be holding her hand or touching her arm if they went anywhere. He had heard before that sex changes a relationship. It hadn't really been something he had thought much on but now he understood. Ten years he had had Hitomi by his side and yet now he felt more connected and closer to her than ever before.

Just a small touch or smile would calm him or excite him.

When she slept he found himself watching her until sleep took him as well.

This was his wife. This was the thing he had been looking for, the person he knew Hitomi was suppose to be to him. Now she was the one he knew almost better than he knew himself. He had always trusted her but it was something more now. He turned to her more and more and listened more carefully to everything she said. Not that he had ignored her before but now it was as if he knew what she was thinking and she knew what he would say even before he said it.

So Van wasn't that surprised when he woke suddenly in the early hours of morning to see Hitomi moving to get out of bed. There was something about her movements that raised an alarm in his head. Something was wrong.

Van pulled on his clothes quickly as Hitomi did the same thing, muttering to herself as she went around the room collecting her shoes and stockings. More than once he was sure he heard her swear under her breath before she all but ran for the door. If he hadn't been expecting it there was no way he would have been able to keep up as her long legs helped her down the stairs easily.

From below he could hear a knocking and the sound of people gathering, mumbled voices reaching his ears as he kept pace with Hitomi.

"Lord Van!" Milelrna stepped away from the others, "Messangers have come to see you. Something has happened."

Not one but four men, all in Fanelia colors dirtied and stained from battle and the trip stood before him.

"No, no, no, no." Hitomi pushed her way through and snatched the letter from one of the men. She was pale and as her fingers wrapped around the parchment her knees gave out from beneath her.

"Hitomi!" Van felt his stomack drop.

"Who did this?!" Hitomi yelled, startling everyone, "Who would burn Fanelia to the ground?!"

A hand on his shoulder was the only thing keeping Van on his feet as her words sunk in.

Fanelia was gone.

"Folken?" he wasn't sure if she heard him until Hitomi shook her head slightly.

"They're all gone." she whispered and everyone turned to stare at her. No one had missed the fact that she hadn't even read the words on the parchment.

"But you...?" Millerna's sister took a step back from where Hitomi sat on the floor, "You didn't read it."

"She doesn't have to." Van managed to stumble over to Hitomi. She was all he had now.

"But that means..."

"She is Fanelia's new Queen." Van took the letter from his wife, holding on desperately to the fact that they were both there and they would find whoever it was who had destroyed his home and his family. He wanted nothing more than to fall to pieces there and then but he held on to his anger, glaring around at anyone who might say anything bad about Hitomi. What he really wanted was to have the person responsible standing before him. he wanted to take out his anger and pain on the one who had caused it.

His eyes came back to his wife's face as tears streamed down her cheeks. As Queen she was safe, even with her Sight. As Queen no one could call for her death. He just wished her safety hadn't come at such a high price. Folken was gone. His sister was gone and so was the baby.

Hitomi's words from days ago came back to him and he felt his blood freeze, "The baby..."

"Mother searches for Baby." Hitomi was looking down at her hands, "They took the baby. Left the parents to panic and search. No time to get out. No want to servive without the child. Baby is gone. Flames are unkind to such fragile skin."

Van's stomack turned voilently and it was all he could do not to be ill. He could feel the tears building and the rage burning the back of his throat. They would be avenged.

"We will find them." he said, forcing Hitomi's blank eyes to look at him. He didn't want her left with that visual of his nephew in the fire.

"She's a Seer." Allen kneeled down beside Van, looking into Hitomi's eyes, eye's that were still seeing something far away.

"And she will help me find those who dared cross Fanelia." Van looked around at those standing there watching them, "Who will help us?"

No one answered.

"Allen." Hitomi's thin finger pointed at the blond. She looked to be herself again, "You will help. I Saw you."

"It was already in my mind to do so." Allen bowed his head, "My crew and I will be at your call." he shot a glance in Van's direction, "That is if you will have us."

"My wife has already said that you will be there. I don't speak against the things she says unless I wish to have myself proven wrong time and time again." it was hard to speak. His chest felt as if it was being squeezed and every word made it tighter and tighter. Any moment he would break. He could just feel it.

"We will be ready to leave by dawn tomorrow." Allen stood and offered HItomi a hand up. When she stood he stared at her as she looked straight back at him, "We will not let you down."

"You have sworn you sword to Asturia." Millerna gripped Allen's arm, dragging his attention away from the Seer, "You can not just up and leave."

"I was given permission to leave in two days anyways. My old master had asked me to visit him." Allen's eyes went back to Van, "Balgus spoke highly of you and your brother. I have no doubt he gave his life willingly to protect him. He had always loved Fanelia."

One of Van's men, standing behind the Asturian knight bowed his head. So Balgus was also gone from the world. The pain grew.

"But you can't just-" Millerna started but Hitomi cut her off.

"This is importan to him." Hitomi looked suddenly very frail, "He would have left with or without Fanelia's destruction and with the permission of your father. You can not take those words back."

The two woman stood there looking at one another. As strong as Millerna thought herself to be Van wouldn't have wanted to be her at that moment.

"Very well." Millerna turned on her heel and left.

"I am sorry for your loss." Allen bowed his head to Van, "It is never easy when one's family is taken away."

Van nodded. His chest was too tight now to even speak.

Hitomi took Van's hand and looked around at those still watching her, "We will talk later. For now we need to be alone."

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A/N: Sorry it's so short. I haven't had a lot of time for typing lately. I'm in the middle fo looking for a new job, a place to live, and two of friends have had babies withing the last month. One of which I am house hunting with. She needs help so I'm trying.

Please review.

Hopefully we will know soon if we have a place and I won't be spending my days calling people again and again and then racing out to meet themand look at the dump they're asking money for. This whole experieence has been rough. 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Forgive the mistakes I missed. They may be plenty- I've been very busy and tried to get this out quickly.

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Van looked around the airship as he waited for the crew to finish preparing for the trip. His wife was laying down in the room that had been put aside for the two of them. Just thinking about the bouncy ride through the skies was making her queasy. She never had been overly fond of traveling.

The captain's cabin was just across from their room, which didn't make Van all that happy. As gratefull as he was for Allen's help he still didn't trust the man completely. There were so many things that Van had tried to sort out in just one night. His feelings toward Allen had been one of the last things he had thought to examine. He wanted his expression to stay calm despite his need to rage at the death of his family and his dislike of the idea of being in such a small space with Allen for fourteen days straight. It could be as long as twenty days if the wheather worked against them and more than that if they ran into strong storms or trouble from other travlers.

Gaddes, a man Van had met only an hour before boarding the ship, stepped around the corner with a grin, "We're taking to the sky. I suggest you make sure your wife is ok. Things could get rough."

Van nodded, hoping Hitomi wouldn't be too miserable once they were in the air. He wanted her to at least have a few happy moments before they were faced with the reality of Fanelia's ruins laying at their feet.

Some of the men stared at him as he made his way back to the room and Van thought that maybe Hitomi had had other reasons to stay out of sight. Now that the word was out that she was a Seer there would no doubt be a few people who would frightened or even angered by her pressence.

He wasn't use to the fact yet that not everyone knew Hitomi the way he did. Yes, she was a Seer but she was also the most caring person he had ever met. She wanted help anyone who needed it. It was one of the many reasons why he loved her so much.

The ship shifted beneath him and Van braced for the moment when he would connect with the door to his room. He hadn't been expecting the ship to take off so suddenly or lurch the way it had. Anotrher thing he hadn't expected was for the door to open just as he was about to hit it.

Van fell through the open door and braced his hands to either side to keep from landing completely ontop of Hitomi who had opened the door before she too was knocked off balance.

With a cringe, Van heard Hitomi's head hit the floor, "Are you ok?" he leaned forward, bumping his head off her's when she moved to look at him.

"Ouch." Hitomi held her forehead as Van held his nose.

"I'm sorry." Van laughed but stopped suddenly.

"It's ok to laugh." Hitomi's hand caressed the side of his face, her green eyes staring up at him sadly, "Folken would be sad to know you stopped laughing because of his death."

"I know." Van sat up as much as he could but his sword was tangled in Hitomi's skirt so he was forced to stopp and fix it, "I just feel like laughing so soon is like saying that it doesn't bother me that they are gone."

"They know your heart." she whispered, "They know what you feel."

Van sat there looking down at her as she made no move to get up. It was just like her to let him finish his thought before interrupting with anything, even a movement.

"That didn't go as planned." Allen came in through the open door only to pause when he saw how the couple before him looked to have been in the middle of something, "I should have knocked." he stepped back out quickly, making Van blush.

"It's ok." Van called after him, "We fell when the ship tilted." Van moved to stand only to realize that he was still tangled up with Hitomi and he was also holding her skirt hem tightly in both hands, her pale legs exposed up to her knees.

Blushing more, Van quickly covered her legs and stood carefully before lending her hand up.

Who would have thought that blushing would come so easily after he had felt so empty last night and so dead to the feelings he knew he should have been feeling. Hitomi had let him brood and think and she left him alone untill the sun rose when she kissed him awake from a sleep he hadn't remembered falling into. She kissed him untill he was pulling her down for more. She brought him back to the thoughts he had had before - together they would work through this and find whoever was responsible.

She was still there and he was still there. He wasn't as alone as he had first thought.

"Please come back in, Allen." Hitomi poked her head out around the door, "We really did fall."

"Of course." Allen said even though it sounded like he didn't believe a word of it, "I just wanted to apologise for the bumpy start. Hopefully from here on it'll be smooth sailing."

When the blonde knight closed the door behind him Van stood there staring at the grain of the wood. With his emotions the way that they were he wouldn't have thought he was capable of being embarrassed or even caring any more what everyone else thought.

"It's confusing." Hitomi's arm wrapped around him from behind, "But there is no certain way that each person must react to death." he could feel her face against his shoulder blade, "Your anger is expected but so is your kindness and ability to carry on living."

Van didn't know what to say so he just stayed silent and held on tightly to one of Hitomi's hands. He felt like his own mind was waging war on him ... it was hard for him to even know if he felt like laughing or crying.

When the sway of the ship became so that it was hard for them to stay as they had been standing, Van brought Hitomi over to the bed and and searched through his bag. Millerna had given him something for motion sickness. It had been meant as a gift for Van's own personal use, he could tell by the way she had pulled him aside to give it to him that morning, but in all his life Van had never gotten ill from such a thing. His wife needed it more than he did by far.

"It's going to make you tired." Van uncapped the glass bottle, glad to have found it in one piece. He hadn't been overly gentle with his belongings when he had tossed them into the room earlier.

"But it will help." she finished Van's thought and took the small amount he offered her in the bottle's cap.

"And I will stay by your side as you sleep and even when you are awake." He watched her make a face as the liquid touched her tongue, "Nothing will harm you, not while I'm around."

She smiled at him, relieved and happy as he put the bottle away before laying down next her on the bed.

"No harm will come to you." she closed her eyes as Van wrapped his body around her's, "I would bring the sky crashing down before I ever saw you hurt..."

Her statement gave Van pause but he knew it was just how he was feeling. The only difference was that he wasn't the one who could see the future. Also, despite his bloodline's connection to the skies, Seer's were said to have lived among the stars before setting foot on Gaea.

"The entire sky?" he asked quietly.

"At least what I could reach of it." she was already half asleep and Van didn't question her anymore.

Her words had sent a shiver up his spine and he hugged her closer to his chest, wondering why he had never truely sought out more information about the abilities of Seers.

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He didn't remember falling asleep but he knew at once that he was dreaming. The place he stood in was no longer in existance. It had been burned down and as much as his heart didn't want to believe it he knew he would never walk through the gardens as they had once been. As he was seeing them now.

He ran, following the sound of laughter. The plants around him blended into blurs of greens and yellows with the occassional red of the roses his mother had loved so much. His feet weren't moving fast enough but he pushed on. He wanted to be apart of the happy moment he could hear just beyond the wall of vines.

His father's laugh only frustarated him more. He would know the sound of that laugh anywhere and yet he couldn't seem to get around the wall. It went on and on in everey direction.

"I found away." a voice, famillair and chilling all at once informed him from above.

Van looked up to see his brother perched on the wall, looking down, looking past him. And just as quick he was gone and Van was scrambling to climb up and over the wall.

"Don't follow him." this time it was Hitomi, six year old Hitomi yelling for his attention, "Get down! You'll fall!"

He wanted to tell her that he couldn't fall. That he had climbed these walls countless times but his words were cut off as his lungs filled with smoke.

The place was on fire. He yelled and yelled but couldn't find anyone. He needed to get everyone out but how could he if he couldn't find them?

Hitomi was at his side, stopping him from going into the palace through the opening that appeared in the wall. He tried to shove her away and rush pass but he couldn't get her to let go of his arm. Everyone was inside. He knew it! And he had to get them out.

He screamed for his brother, then his mother but got no answer.

He swung again at Hitomi. Then again.

Why wouldn't she just let him go? He had to do something.

A pain, sharp and quick, opened Van's eyes. He was laying on the floor of their cabin, Hitomi on top of him. She held him down as Allen and few other men stood in the door way, waiting to see if she needed help but looking as if they wanted to run away.

"I know that hurt and I'm sorry." Hitomi's eyes were watering, "But I had to wake you. You were dreaming... and yelling. Are you hurt?"

Van looked around, completely confused, and spotted white feathers all over the room.

"What happened?" he looked up at Hitomi, praying she wasn't about to say what he thought she was going to say.

"When I tried to wake you up you started fighting against me, yelling." she moved slowly to sit beside him on the floor instead on on his chest as she had been, "I'd been having the same dream but I woke myself only to find that you wouldn't snap out of it. We struggled and then ... well, your wings knocked me off my feet better than you clumsy swings would have." she held up a long white feather that had blood on the base where it would have been in the wing's skin, "I pulled the one I found closest to your spine. I knew it would hurt but I also knew you would wake."

"So I see that whoever burned your country to the ground must have the assistance of magicians or else they wouldn't have been able to do this. No two people have the same dream at the same time." Allen shook his head, looking surprisingly calm while Van felt like shouting untill his voice had gone.

"Someone did this?" he asked, anger flashing to life as he thought of what he could done to his wife.

Hitomi turned and looked at him before nodding. His anger vanished when he saw bruise on her cheek. Even though she called his swings clumsy it seemed that even in his sleep his aim hadn't been that off.

"I'm sorry." he pulled her towards him and hugged her tightly, "I'm so sorry and here I was saying that you would never be harmed."

"And just when were planning to tell me that not only is the new Queen a Seer but the King is Draconian?"

Allen was the only one left in the room with them.

"Everyone knew that my mother was a Draconian." Van had to force himself not to growl at the man.

"Fanelia may have known but to everyone esle it was meerly a rumor." Allen pushed his long hair away from hsi face, "This does complicate a few things."

"How so?" Hitomi stood, placing herself as equal to Allen so that he wouldn't be looking down as he answered her question.

"Few will tolerate the pressense of a Seer, even fewer will tolerate the pressense of a Draconain. They are said to be demons left over from the great wars that shaped Gaea. They are suppose to be cursed." Allen hung his head for a moment, thinking, "If someone outside of Fanelia had realized that Folken was Draconian it could have been their reasoning for burning the palace and part of the royal family inside of it. There are those would pay dearly just to be able to say that the whole of Gaea is safer without such demons around."

Hitomi just stood there as Van stared at Allen.

"Will you still help us?" Van asked as he stood slowly. His back always ached if it had been awhile since he had last freed his wings. And it had been ages. He knew he would be sore for a day or two.

"Your secret is safe with me and my crew." Allen looked at Hitomi, "Though your secret has probably been spread across Gaea by now."

"That's how it was suppose to be." Hitomi nodded towards the tall knight, "Our thanks for everything."

If these people really had magicians then they would need all teh help they could get.

"I have a feeling I had no choice." Allen shook his head slightly with a smile, "The Fates brought this about and crossed our paths."

"Indeed." Van took Hitomi's hand, relieved and rethinking his opinion of Allen, "Paths crossed and tangled untill each is blended with the other's."

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A/N: I've been working nonstop on this one. It all came out so easily I was worried it wasn't good enough but I like it. I hope you all did too. 


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Forgive me for taking so long. Life is busy and crazy and the only reason why I have moment now is due to a severe head cold. After today I have two days off from work. I will try to get another chapter posted.

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The airship gave them little comfort as the King of Fanelia and his wife took turns sleeping for the next few days. Hitomi said it was the only way to be sure that their dreams wouldn't be used against them.

"I can't even imagine what would have happened if you had crossed that wall." Hitomi placed her chin in her hand and looked at the floor by her feet, she'd been siting still for too long, "Though I doubt they will try that way again, we have to be carefull."

"They are probably too busy wondering why you weren't drawn in as I was." gently, Van pulled Hitomi back onto the bed where he had been laying for almost an hour with no hope of sleep. Watching her just sit there, staring at her back and wondering why she always instisted that he sleep first was driving him crazy.

"With as much as I have inside my mind already it was easy to see the trap." She sighed as Van curled around her, his face in her neck. In this position he would fall alseep in no time.

"Once they hear that you are Seer I wonder what they will try next." he felt Hitomi stiffen before she pushed his arm away and sat up.

"They, they, they! We don't even know who our enimy is. How can we act with no clue as to where we should be sending our anger?" Van was surprised when she got out of bed to pace the floors.

"We will know who it was." Van sat up and grabbed at her skirts, stopping her as she was about to turn, "Together we can do this and bring the murders to justice. We have help now and I think they will keep their word and my secret."

Hitomi's eyes had suddenly gone blank and Van watched in siulence as her hand moved slowly up to her throat. It looked like she was playing with a necklace that wasn't there.

"Barrels." she said quietly, "Barrels and a loft..."

"What else." Van could barely hear his own voice but when he spoke Hitomi's hand stopped moving and she looked at him.

"Missing food." she turned and slipped from his grasp, fatser than he had ever seen her move.

When she reached the door Van was still on the edge of the bed in shock. She was halfway to the pilot's cabin by the time Van caught up to her.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked her as she shoved the door open.

"Just fine." she stopped in front of three very surprised crew members before pointing to the chubbiest one, "Take us down to supplies."

"Supplies is no place for a Lady such as you-" Hitomi cut him off.

"Grap the Captain while you're at it."

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Van couldn't believe what he was seeing and neither, it seemed, could Allen.

"Princess Millerna?" Allen's face had gone to stone. He was somewhere between shock and fury but he had yet to decide on one or the other of the two emotions.

"Why did you come?" Hitomi asked as she kicked aside an empty barrel, "Did you really think you could help us out there?"

"I could do something!" Millerna glared at Hitomi, "You were going. What's one more female?"

"Hitomi knows how to use a sword and protect herself." van tried to be the calm one. He was still surprised that the Princess had been staying in a small loft bed in the bottom of the ship. The chubby man Hitomi had singled out to get Allen and bring them down there had been sneaking food off to the Princess whenever he could.

"I know how to treat wounds." Millerna straightened her shoulders.

"We can't turn around now." Hitomi sighed, "Hope you enjoy bloodshed. It's all I've dreamed of for days. It will happen and it will not take long to find us."Hitomi took Van's hand and turned away from the two blondes, "Now Allen must decide what he thinks is the best course of action. It is afterall his ship she snuck onto."

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The wind was what woke them in the morning. Van was sure that he had heard shouting not long after he and Hitomi had climbed into bed but he wasn't about to bring it up.

He wasn't surprised in the least to learn that Millerna was refusing to talk to the asturian Knight, who was also now ignoring the Princess all together.

"What are you smiling about?" Millerna snapped at Hitomi once they had seated themselves at the same table as Allen, away from the Princess but obviuosly not far enough away.

"Forgive me for enjoying the company of my husband." she smiled and raised their linked hands which had indeed been the reason for her smile, "Every day we draw nearer to sadness. I will happily take any amount of joy that is handed my way."

Van knew Hitomi was talking about seeing what was left of their home and coming to terms with what had happened to their family. Just thinking about it made his stomack clench. their time on this ship had been troubled but had seemed to be away from normal concerns and he had been fully enjoying the time he had with his wife.

Too soon he would face the fact that he was now the rightfull King and the fact that his brother's death had put him there.

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A/N: I know this is short and serious but I just wanted to post it to let you all know that I am still very much alive. Extremely busy but alive.  
This wasn't looked over at all- so ignore the mistakes, please. I know they are there so please don't comment about them in your review. sadly it's been a very long time since I last typed. 


	9. Chapter 9

The ship wasn't that large. Ok, maybe it was but it still didn't make any sense to Van as to why he couldn't find his wife. The sun had barely risen when she had said that she needed fresh air. Van laid in bed for awhile but when she didn't come back quickly, he got worried.

"Over here." Van had been looking high and low for Hitomi for almost an hour when he heard her voice from above him as he walked the outer cat walks.

Looking up he saw her perched on the edge of one of the walks, her legs dangling as the railing protected her from a fall. Obviously he hadn't looked high enough.

"How are you feeling?" taking a seat next to her he could see how pale she was.

"The air is thin." she sighed and looked to the front of the ship. They were about to cross over the mountains and all they could see were clouds below and around them.

"You should eat something." he nudged her arm with his elbow and watched a smile form on her lips.

"There you go again." she stood up slowly, "Treating me like a child."

"Well if you actually ate when the meals were ready I wouldn't worry. We have a lot a head of us. I need you to be well." he hugged her to his chest and just held on, "Allen said it could be five or more days."

"I know, but we're going to hit a storm first." Van hadn't heard that part of it before.

"How-?" he started but stopped when Hitomi raised an eyebrow at him, "Right. Nevermind."

Even though they had been married for years she still caught him by surprise from time to time.

Van kissed Hitomi's temple as he laced his fingers through her's. He was gratefull to have her by his side.

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The storm hit the next morning. The high winds hit them first with no warning.

Van held onto the door frame for ballance as Hitomi held onto him.

"That was quick." the surprise in her voice made Van smile even though he knew that from that point on things would only get worse. Hitomi had said the storm would be bad.

When the rain started it sounded like thunder as hit the ship. Van and Hitomi sat silently as they both listened to it slam into the walls around them.

Van wanted nothing more than to run to the pilot's cabin and see how well they were doing in the storm. Sitting in his room he had no idea if they were even still on course. For all he knew the wind could have blown them miles from the mountain that had been their goal for these past days. Beyond the mountains there was Fanelia. Or at least what was left of it.

He wanted to know what was happening but at the same time he didn't want to leave Hitomi's side. As the storm had picked up her face had grown paler and paler.

She truly looked like she would be sick at any moment. Van suddenly wished he hadn't pushed her to eat so much soup for lunch. She'd been looking worn and he had thought she was coming down with a cold.

"Hitomi-?"

"I think I'm ok." she moved from the small table that sat in their room over to the bed, "I think I need to lay down."

"Do you want anything?" Van hurried to pull the blankets back and help her get comfortable, "Just say it and I'll get it for you."

"No need." she smiled weakly, looking happy even through her queasiness, "It's already here." she gripped his sleeve and pulled him onto the bed next to her.

"Your sweet even when you feel sick." Van kissed her cheek and laid as close as he could without blocking any routes she could use to get out of bed if she had to suddenly.

"I don't feel sweet." she closed her eyes, "Millerna is driving me crazy. Even with her in her own room I can feel her anger and annoyance. It's hard to even be civil around her."

"Well then you do very well at pretending." he ran his fingers through her hair and watched some of the tension leave her face.

"It wouldn't do any of us any good if I lost my temper with her." she sighed, relaxing more and more under Van's touch.

"Spoken like a Queen." he whispered only to hear her laugh.

"From what I've seen a Queen would have yelled at her and banished her from sight." opening her eyes she smiled t her husband, "I refuse to be that type of Queen."

"You are allowd to have your bad days." Van grinned. In his mind he saw Hitomi literally kicking Millerna out of the Fanelian throne room- her little foot placed firmly against Milerna's rear as she gave the royal a shove out of the room.

A rumble made them both turn towards the one window in their room. Even through the thick rain they saw a flash of lightning in the sky.

"That was close to the ship." Hitomi sat up rushed to the window, "If this gets any worse we'll have to land."

Van was halfway out the door when he felt Hitomi grab his sleeve. He stood looking at her concerned face with door open a few inches. If they landed they would loose time and a storm in the mountains could last for days if it was big enough.

"Tell Allen to go above the storm." they were both drenched just from the few seconds that the door had been opened.

"What?" Van thought, almost hoped that he had heard her wrong.

"Above the clouds!" she yelled over the wind that was now trying to yank the door from Van's hands.

Van lost the fight with the wind before her could say anything and he was pulled out onto the catwalk as the door slammed into the outside wall. Bracing his feet he pulled and pulled and was surprised when the door started to move the way he wanted it too.

"Hitomi?" small hands were placed on the door's edge beside his. It was her added strength that helped him to close the door.

"Let's go see Allen!" the door finally closed, leaving them out in the rain and wind and holding onto the rail for dear life. Van could hardly see through his wet hair as it clung to his face.

There wasn't much for him to do except take Hitomi's hand and make his way carefully to the pilot's cabin. More than once Van was forced to stop walking to move his hair or shirt out of his face. The wind was so strong that both kept being blown about wildly.

When they reached the right door, the one that would take them to Allen and his men, Van truned to see that Hitomi had been having similliar problems with her hair aswell. The only difference was that her shirt, while tucked in, had stayed in place. Her skirt on the otherhand was bunched up around her thighs as she tried to hold it down with her free hand. Even soaked through with rain water the material was being blown around like paper.

Hitomi's face was red and Van was rather sure that just like his, it wasn't entirely from the cold wind at that moment.

"Don't just stare! Help me!" Hitomi staggered as the wind hit them again and again.

"In here!" Van opened the door to the pilot's cabin and told everyone to turn the other way. That really got him some strange looks, especailly from Millerna but they did as he asked..

Once he was sure no one would see his wife in such a manner he pulled her inside and closed the door quickly. They'd already let in a lot of water. Van crouched down and grabbed the under skirt first and then the top skirt. Even straightened out the material clung to Hitomi's legs and made Van wish he could hide her behind something.

"Are you going to tell us when we can turn around on my ship?" Allen sounded annoyed but Van heard Millerna snicker.

"Very impropper if you ask me." Van turned to see the blonde Princess staring at his red face.

"No one did." Hitomi turned and plucked soemone's cloak off a hook by the door before wrapping it around her waist.

Millerna glared at her but Hitomi ignored her completely and moved over to where Allen stood behind the nam who was steering the ship.

"We need to go higher." she said, pointing to the darkness ahead of them, "It just gets worse as it goes on. Above the clouds we will be safe."

"If we go too high the levi rocks may not hold up." the man behind the wheel, Van thought the man's name may have been Gaddes, "The Rocks themselves have brought us up this high on their own. I've been letting them pull us up in hopes that we could get above all this mess."

"Make them go higher." Hitomi leaned forward and looked at the levers, "You have controlls here that will let you do so."

"But we've never used them."

"There's a time for everything." Hitomi's hand shot out and suddenly the ship lurched. The controll she had been talking about was now poiting forward.

She hadn't given them a choice which made Van a bit uneasy. If she wasn't willing to discuss it that meant she had seen something as they had been talking. Before she had just said it was an idea. Now Van could see it was their only option.

He just hoped it would worked.

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A/N: I've been reading way too much manga lately. I know this story took a serious turn but I'm going to try to lighten it up here and there. I already know where I wnat this to go but it still takes a while to get it all typed out while working 40 hours a week and baby sitting on my two days off.

I've decided that the next chapter will start right where this one left off. Going a few days ahead gets confusing. I have no idea how long they have been on the ship right now and I don't like that. So, I'm going top try to keep them going from one moment to the next with few jumps. 


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Ouch. Here's the next chapter. It's rough and I didn't get to put as many final touches on it as I wanted. But i hope you enjoy it.

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"You could have killed us!" Millerna grabbed for Hitomi's shoulders but the smaller girl was too fast.

"Better than letting them kill us." Hitomi's words stopped everyone's movements within the cabin.

"Who?" Allen straightened from looking at the gages that measured whether or not the sudden lift would kill them. Everything looked fine for the moment bu tit seemed like they had a new problem.

"Archers in the n pass." rolling her shoulders, the Seer frowned and brought one hand up to her neck, "It would have ended badly."

"So someone knows we're coming." Gaddes sighed from behind the controls, "My job just gets more interesting by the second. Seers and Draconians and a destroyed kingdom. Now just add in some planning enemy or another and it's bound to get fun."

"So you bought us some time before they realize we went over and not through the mountains." Van put an arm around Hitomi's soaking body and pulled her against his side, "Looks like we'll have to be more careful about getting back home."

"We're above the storm." Gaddes slapped his hand down on wheel and turned with a smile to everyone in the room, "Whoever is down there will have one hell of a time finding us now."

"Good." Hitomi nodded and grabbed the door nob, "I'm going to change. Keep us high and out of sight. They are still waiting and watching."

Van exchanged a look with Allen before going after Hitomi. Lately he felt like all he did was follow his wife around but he wasn't about to leave her alone now that he knew there were people after them.

"What did you see?" he stepped into the room only to blush and turn his back on his wife as she pulled off her shirt.

"I felt it more than saw it and it wasn't good. Out numbered and caught by surprise. There was no chance for us." her voice was so hallow.

Van was thinking over the horror of what she had just said and didn't hear her walk up behind him. He didn't even realize that she was there untill her hand touched his face.

"What?" he thought he had missed something she said but when he turned she smiled.

"We avoided them." she kissed his lips, "We're fine now."

"Don't you mean, for now?" his words stopped in his throat when he saw that she was only half dressed.

Being on the ship combined with Hitomi's travel sickness hadn't left them much time to be together as husband and wife. Hitomi's state of dress was a strong reminder of this fact.

"You're staring." she grinned.

"You're barely dressed." he countered, reaching for her waist.

"Has your fear turned into something else?"

"Was that your plan?"

"There was no plan." she kissed him again, "I was terrified that I hadn't acted quick enough. I thought I would never kiss you again."

Van pulled her tight against his chest and kissed her hard. His own fears had been very much the same. He knew he should have been thinking about the future of Fanelia and what would happen if he never made it back to it but all he thought of was his wife and how he would have fought till the end to save her.

He pulled her hips forward, gripping the material of her under skirt on one hand as the other slid up the back of her shift and along her spine.

They were past the danger but for how long? There wasn't even any promise that they would make it all the way to Fanelia and then onto the confrontation with whoever had burned the city and his family.

"I love you." he moved to kiss her neck, tugging her back towards the bed.

"I love you too."

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Come morning Millerna's mood had worsened and she had decided to take it out on Hitomi the moment the young couple had made their way onto the higher walks of the ship.

"Damn it." Hitomi swore under her breath when she saw the blonde coming her way.

"I have been trying to talk to you since last night!" Millerna huffed, hands suddenly on her hips, "Do yo have any idea how rude it is to just shout at someone who knocks on your door?! You didn't say anything other than 'go away'." Hitomi opened her mouth to say something, pink faced but Millerna cut her off, "I understand that you are a Seer and different than everyone else but you need to think about the people around you. You can't just go making decisions for an entire shipfull of people and then yell at any who knock on your door."

"We weren't being rude." Van cleared his throat and looked at his wife for help. He didn't know how to say such a thing delicately enough without embarrassing all involved.

"I will act as I see fit in such situations." Hitomi said without apology, "And as for yesterday evening, we were occupied."

"Occupied?" Millerna looked ready to burst.

"Occupied." Hitomi nodded and then took Van's hand while holding Millerna's gaze.

It took a second but then Millerna's face reddened and her eyes widened before she made a small ,"Oh." sound. She turned on her heel and left, looking speechless.

"May I go hide now?" Hitomi hid her face in her hands but Van could still see how pink her ears had turned, "I can't believe I told her that."

"Am I interrupting?" Van and Hitomi both looked up to see a confused looking Allen coming from the way Millerna had just gone.

"No." Van tried to smile but felt his face also turning redder. He knew that Milelrna hadn't said anything to Allen but still the way the man was lookinga t them made him self conscious.

"We'll be on Fanelia land in two days." at their shocked looks he laughed, "We had been counting on weaving through mountains and encountering storms remember? Above it all we are making great time and hopefully our archer friends, or should I say, those who hired them, won't be expecting us so soon."

"We'll have the element of surprise." Van frowned. Even though this was what they had been waiting for they hadn't expected those responsible for Fanelia's fall to still be around and waiting to finish off the royal line.

At least that was the impression Van got from the news of archers waiting for them in the mountains. If that was anything to go by he was rather sure that there would be more waiting by the ruins of his home.

He was suddenly very happy to have Allen and his men on his side and at his side for what was to come.

"The air is cold." Allen said, dragging Van's thoughts back to the moment, "And your Lady wife looks pale. I suggest you both try to rest and gather your strength before we reach your lands.

They had barely closed the door behind them when Van was asking how his wife was feeling.

"I hate flying." she sighed and took a seat on the edge of their bed, looking up at Van, "I haven't felt healthy the entire we've been traveling."

"Are you well enough to face this?" he felt his voice falter. He wasn't even sure he could face it yet.

She smiled, looking more confident than he had been feeling this entire trip, "Together we can do anything."

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

A/N: I wanted this to be longer and edited (or at least grammar checked) but I've injure myself at work and typing is like plunging my hand into broken glass. So yeah. It'll be awhile but in the mean time send me some ideas. PLEASE. I have quite a few but I need something to inspire me again.


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